Martin Luther makes it very clear about his view on the book of Esther when he said, “I hate the book of Esther so much that I wish they did not exist; it contains too much Judaism and no little heathen vice,” (F.F Bruce, The Cannon of Scripture, pg. 101). I think we could jump to the conclusion that Luther hated the story of Esther, but I think his mindset was not on the story but rather the way the story was constructed. The fact that God’s name is not mentioned in the book of Esther bothered Luther and reasonably so. But does that mean that God was not present throughout the story? Did Yahweh’s sovereignty still exist?
I think the story of Esther beautifully displays God’s sovereignty in a way that we do not think about often. Throughout the Old and New Testament the sovereignty of God is right in our face. It screams at us, and we cannot ignore it. It compels worship, action, and reverence. It is truly awesome and powerful. But, on the other hand, like in the book of Esther, God’s sovereignty is silent. It is there, it cannot be ignored, but at the same time it is not always the most obvious for the broken, sinners eyes to see. Yet the beautiful part about it is that it is still present. The world would tell us that this is “fate and chance”, but as believers we see it as so much more. Genesis 1:1 makes it clear that “in the beginning God created...”. From the very beginning there was a God, someone for man to submit to. This God was not created and constructed by humans, but rather this God created and constructed humans. Because of these truths, He would be sovereign over all humanity. This would include Esther, the Persians, the Jews that were living in Persia, and all of humanity.
The beginning of Esther shows that Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command when the king summoned her (1:12). Therefore this infuriated the king, and Queen Vashti was to never again come before the king’s presence (1:19). This sets the stage for giving Esther a small chance at access to King Ahasuerus. From the very beginning, Yahweh had a plan. While we could say, “It just so happened that Queen Vashti disrespected King Ahasuerus,” I think it would be better to conclude that, “It just so happened that Yahweh, the creator of ALL, was in complete and total control.”
The king realized that he desired a queen, and “it just so happens” that Mordecai and Esther are in Susa, which is where the palace was. While there is debate on whether or not Esther was a victim or manipulator in the “beauty pageant” that takes place in chapter 2, Yahweh used the situation to display his perfection, sovereignty, and redemption. As a result, Esther comes becomes queen, and “it just so happened” that Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. “It just so happens” that he was placed perfectly in a position where he was able to overhear the plan of two of the king’s eunuchs to kill King Ahasuerus. Through God’s sovereign design, Mordecai was strategically in a place where he was able to save the king’s life.
Through Mordecai’s embarrassment and humiliation of Haman, there is a decree that is issued to kill all the Jews in the area (Chapter 3). The character of God, is yet again, displayed through Esther’s willingness to step in and attempt to save the Jews. God’s timing was impeccable when it came to saving the Jews. Chapter 5:8 shows, “If I have won the king’s favor, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and then I will do as the king has said.” While our first conclusion could be that Esther is being the hero, Yahweh is using Esther to show that his plans prevail! Therefore God is hero!
“It just so happens” that the Jews are saved. Mordecai is exalted, Haman is killed, and the decree is changed allowing the Jews to live. Whether God’s name is mentioned or not, he was working through saving the Jews even down to minuscule scenarios like a drunken king. God was alway present. The fact that God’s name is not mentioned does not mean that God was not present. He was with the Jews, and this should bring them great comfort. They did not have to be in Jerusalem close to the temple for God’s presence to dwell amongst them. Because God was and is sovereign over all, His plan prevailed even in the nation of Persia. This should have brought great comfort to the Jews in Persia and great conviction. This should have compelled radical worship, obedience, and submission among the people.
Fast forward to today, and the same sovereignty that God displayed in Esther still exist. That alone should bring worship of Yahweh. Sometimes I fail to acknowledge and see that God’s sovereignty is present, but that does not make it any more or less present. God’s sovereignty is perfect, and therefore I desire to submit to that. I am not perfect, and I never will be. But I am called to submit to Yahweh’s sovereignty, and therefore I can find complete rest in that. On days when everything seems out of control, when my mind is running crazy, or when I feel like giving up, that is okay because God is in complete control, His plans are perfect, and He never grows tired and weary.
Throughout the Bible, in the book of Esther, and in my own life, God’s sovereignty prevails. Sometimes it jumps out at us, and sometimes it is subtle and silent. But however it appears, it cannot be ignored. It compels worship, submission, and reverence.
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